Helicon Focus, it's like HDR for DOF

[mjs1973]

Has anyone tried the Helicon Focus software? It's a stand alone program that takes in focus slices of your photos, and combines them into a single image with a greater depth of field. It's kind of like HDR for DOF. I have heard about it before, but never looked into it. I read about it again today in the newest issue of Outdoor Photographer so I thought I would look it up and see what it's all about. I downloaded the free 30 day trial, and started to play around with it. I have only done a couple of tests with it so far, but it seems to do the trick pretty well.

Helicon also has a software called Helicon Filter. From what little I read about it, it's a stand alone image processing tool. They have a free version if anyone is looking for an image processing tool.

Here is a series of 4 photos I took using my 100mm f/2.8 macro lens, set at f/8. I adjusted the plane of focus a little bit for each image, them combined them using the Helicon Focus software to get an image with a DOF from front to back.

[mjs1973]

Here is another example that I created using this software. This image was created using 8 separate images, all shot at f/8 with my 100mm f/2.8 macro lens. I'm only posting 4 of the original images, and the final image. The one thing that I don't like about this software is that it changes the resolution of the final image. My original 8 photos were PSD files at 240dpi. My final image is only 72dpi. The pixel dimensions are the same, but the dpi dropped. This was the same outcome using both RAW and the PSD files. Not sure if there is a setting for this or not. I will have to do some checking.

[Frog]

What'll they think of next? Next thing you know they'll make cameras that can tell if there's a face in the picture or not......oh wait!
That does look like it could be useful at times, Mike. I see you didn't have to have their name plastered all over the pic for the free trial.
How much is it?

[mjs1973]

Once the 30 day trial is up, I'm sure the watermarks will show up on the photos.

There are a couple versions of the software, Light and Pro. The light is $30/ year or $115 unlimited. Pro is $70/ year or $250 unlimited. With the unlimited package, all upgrades are free.

[Jaedon]

Here is another example that I created using this software. This image was created using 8 separate images, all shot at f/8 with my 100mm f/2.8 macro lens. I'm only posting 4 of the original images, and the final image. The one thing that I don't like about this software is that it changes the resolution of the final image. My original 8 photos were PSD files at 240dpi. My final image is only 72dpi. The pixel dimensions are the same, but the dpi dropped. This was the same outcome using both RAW and the PSD files. Not sure if there is a setting for this or not. I will have to do some checking.

The resolution might not change to 72dpi in the full version. It sounds like something that would be done to the trial software.

Sounds like an interesting bit of software.

[mjs1973]

I did a search on their forum and found this very topic.

http://forum.helicon.com.ua/viewtopic.php?t=1084

I will try this out on TIFF files later today. The dogs want to go for a walk now.

[mjs1973]

Just tested this software out using TIFF files. The output image retained the original resolution of my source images. It's an extra step to convert your source images to TIFF's, but if you want to make a large print, it's worth the effort.

[SmartWombat]

We used to do something similar with photomicroscopy.
But it was slow and expensive on the PDP-8

[drg]

We used to do something similar with photomicroscopy.
But it was slow and expensive on the PDP-8

That's one of the reasons that DEC built the 11-x series.

I worked with a number of apps for commercial printing that were used to 'fix' tabletop photography by the printers that were executed on 11/23 and 11/44's. Then came VAX and then came 80386 and the rest is history . . . (someone's)

For my 21st century commentary; I've wondered if Helicon isn't another offshoot of lens design software. After all, many of the compact/P/S/pro-sumer/EVF cameras offer Macro Capabilities that also combine great depth of field. That is a lens 'feature' from the algorithmic computations that generate the lens parameters.

Quality of the sensor aside, a lot of good Macro interested photographers long ago went that route. Today's current crop of cameras aren't quite as good because jamming too many sensor sites into a small hunk o' silicon/GaAs/CMOS etc. just isn't the same.

Look in the Gallery at some of the Macro work and then note the cameras.

Wider angle/shorter Macro lenses have more DOF as an alternative, though there are some things it is admittedly hard to get very close without altering the shot.

[readingr]

That's one of the reasons that DEC built the 11-x series.

I worked with a number of apps for commercial printing that were used to 'fix' tabletop photography by the printers that were executed on 11/23 and 11/44's. Then came VAX and then came 80386 and the rest is history . . . (someone's)

For my 21st century commentary; I've wondered if Helicon isn't another offshoot of lens design software. After all, many of the compact/P/S/pro-sumer/EVF cameras offer Macro Capabilities that also combine great depth of field. That is a lens 'feature' from the algorithmic computations that generate the lens parameters.

Quality of the sensor aside, a lot of good Macro interested photographers long ago went that route. Today's current crop of cameras aren't quite as good because jamming too many sensor sites into a small hunk o' silicon/GaAs/CMOS etc. just isn't the same.

Look in the Gallery at some of the Macro work and then note the cameras.

Wider angle/shorter Macro lenses have more DOF as an alternative, though there are some things it is admittedly hard to get very close without altering the shot.

Aahhh! the good old days when computers filled large living rooms or small halls and needed to be cooled by something other than a fan and less compute power than your MP3 player or camera for that matter.

When programmers knew how to programme and how to generate code to save memory not use loads of the stuff.

Interesting tool may give this a go.

Roger